LARKANA, Nov 18: The Moenjodaro Conservation and Research Cell has not started functioning as the department of archaeology has failed to appoint a project director for it.

The department had outlined a plan to undertake massive conservation and preservation of Moenjodaro to save the remains of the Indus valley civilization from further ruination.

A sum of money was released by the archaeology department for repair of a portion of wall which had collapsed during the last year's rains. In the meantime, the department had floated an idea of setting up the MCRC and fixed a deadline to appoint a project director with all necessary arrangements at the site.

After a lapse of one and half year, the department had failed to come with concrete results. District Nazim Khursheed Junejo contacted the federal secretary of the culture department for the early remedial measures to save the pre-historic relics from destruction.

The chief engineer of the archaeology department, Mr Mohan Lal, said the NFM's executive directors would meet in the second week of December for the appointment of the project.

Archaeology department DG Nabidad Khan Kakar and chief engineer are arriving at the site on Thursday to review the repair work. It was also learnt that the MCRC will receive funds from the saved amount of the defunct authority for the preservation of Moenjodaro.

There are also plans for establishing an observatory and a laboratory at the site. At present, around 140 protected archaeological sites are in Sindh and the department has only Rs350,000 to be spent in one year.